New Law Says NYC Bars Can No Longer Refuse Pregnant Women Alcohol

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According to new reports, bars in the city can no longer refuse alcohol to pregnant women. This past Friday, the New York City Human Rights Commission released new guidelines to “eliminate discrimination against pregnant women in the workplace and out in public.”

“Unlawful policies include those that categorically exclude pregnant workers or workers who are capable of becoming pregnant from specific job categories or positions, deny entrance to pregnant individuals to certain public accommodations, or refuse to serve certain food or drinks to pregnant individuals or individuals perceived to be pregnant.”

“Judgments and stereotypes about how pregnant individuals should behave, their physical capabilities, and what is or is not healthy for a fetus are pervasive in our society and cannot be used as pretext for unlawful discriminatory decisions.”

The site continues:

The Commission gives specific examples of discrimination that pregnant women may face, including, “A restaurant policy that prohibits staff from serving pregnant individuals raw fish or alcohol,” or “A bouncer denies a pregnant individual entrance to a bar based on the belief that pregnant individuals should not be going to bars and/or drinking alcohol.”

Bars are still required, however, to post warnings that drinking during pregnancy can lead to birth defects, according to the Associated Press.